Pronounced 'cull-eela', the distillery is situated on the North Eastern shores of Islay with magnificent views across the Sound of Islay to the spectacular Paps of Jura. Join us for a tour and watch the distillers at work, tending to the 6 copper stills.
The health and wellbeing of our employees, visitors and on-site partners is our highest priority. Given the fast-moving Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, as a precautionary measure, Caol Ila Distillery Visitor Centre is closed until further notice. If you have an entry ticket during this period, please contact CaolIla@malts.com for a refund. Please bear with us as we process all requests, we reassure you that we will respond to each and every query. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We wish all of our customers the very best at this difficult time.
£7
1 hour
A journey through the whisky-making process whilst enjoying panoramic views of the Paps of Jura from our magnificent still house.
£23
1 hour
Sit back, relax and enjoy a verity of our exceptional whiskies served with a selection of luxurious chocolates crafted by the award winning Highland Chocolatier.
£27
1 hour 30 mins
A short and succinct visit to our magnificent still house, then its off to our old cooperage to taste a selection of the finest Caol Ila cask strength expressions.
Tel: 01496 302769
Email: CaolIla@malts.com
The Distillery is located 1 mile from Port Askaig, one of Islay’s two ferry ports.
Take a peek at the ins and outs of our working distillery. From the magnificent views of the Paps of Jura to large scale whisky production at its best.
Uncover the history behind the liquid
In 1846, Glasgow distillery owner Hector Henderson picked a little bay on the Sound of Islay for his distillery site. He named it for the sound itself, using the Gaelic Caol Ila, and it was across this sound the little puffer ships made their round trips to the mainland – slowly helping to establish the distillery as the biggest on Islay.
Islay, the 'Queen of the Hebrides', is probably best known for its peaty, smoky whiskies. Some say they are the best in the whole world. Home to 8 working distilleries, Islay definitely has the process of making the stuff down to a fine art. Sláinte!
